First time in following its refurbishment. The bar area now looks much more modern, whether that is a good or a bad thing is down to personal taste though. There were plenty of people congregating in front of the bar which made it a bit congested - strange as there were plenty of seats available further down the pub. After making it to the bar there were about 5 real ales available, one of which was Greene King IPA Reserve, which I have never had before, but decided to pass on this time in favour of one of the festive ales. All in all, still a pleasant pub with a fair selection of ale. Perhaps some of the character has been lost though.

Top class pub. Classic tiled exterior gives the pub a distinctive iconic look. Interior has a timeless feel, especially the snug. Tried two beers from Allgates (brewed at Wigan) both of which were excellent: 'Dry Bones' which was light & tasty and 'Hung Drawn & Portered' which was dark and delicious. Fantastic place.

The Lass O'Gowrie on Charles Street was voted Best Pub in Britain in 2012 in the Great British Pub Awards.

Pub bosses admit they have seen takings tumble since the closure of the BBC's Oxford Road site - but say their pleas for a rent reduction to owners Greene King fell on deaf ears.

After a two-year battle with the brewery chain, landlord Gareth Kavanagh will step down from running the pub this weekend - and all ten employees will be made redundant.

Mr Kavanagh, 41, who took over the pub eight years ago, finally won a battle to reduce his £54,000-a-year rent in August after going to an independent tribunal.

But he told the M.E.N that it came too late to save the pub - and said the nail in the coffin came when the brewery demanded a further £40,000 refurbishment of the venue take place.

Mr Kavanagh claimed that the brewery managers had labelled his award-winning business 'below-average' and said he should be taking £500,000 a year.

He told the M.E.N: "Businesses around us have been closing down left, right and centre. Because we weren't getting passing trade, we had been working on a business plan to become a destination pub.

"But the people who run the brewery don't care that we're an award winning pub. They just look at our location and said we were a 'below average pub' and in their opinion we should be making 30 per cent more revenue."

The businessman said he requested a rent review in 2011 after his turnover dropped by 40 per cent after the BBC relocated from Oxford Road to MediaCityUK in Salford and other local businesses closed down.

When the brewery did not grant the request - the pub boss went to an independent body which ruled the rent was too high and should be slashed by 40 per cent.

But Mr Kavanagh claimed he was forced to quit when brewery bosses mounted a full-scale 'depreciation' review of the pub and demanded that thousands of pounds worth of renovation take place.

He added: "We passed our fire safety tests with flying colours, but despite this Greene King carried out a full scale review of the pub after they lost the case.

"Nothing can be done about it now. We've wanted to keep our own counsel about the problems, even after we won the review. But now we just want to thank everyone who has made the pub a success. I'm out of a job now and have lost a lot of money but I really hope all our talented, fantastic staff get work very soon."

The traditional pub boasts an eclectic mix of theatre and comedy, vintage video games,and live music.

It has also been at the heart of the Greater Manchester Fringe festival, organised and co-founded by Mr Kavanagh and manager Lisa Connor.

Quirky shows to feature at the pub include a play based on the life of Joy Division's Ian Curtis and a festival celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who.

It is understood that Greene King will seek a new licensee for the pub after Mr Kavanagh leaves on January 6.

The annual Great British Pub Awards are given by the licensing trade publication, The Publican's Morning Advertiser.

A Greene King spokesperson said: “We are investing in the Lass O’Gowrie with a major redevelopment to improve this popular ale-house. The pub will remain independently run and the new tenant, a successful local pub operator, will take over shortly.

“The pub will re-open in a few weeks once it has been refurbished, with an even stronger focus on real ale and a wider selection of locally-brewed cask ales alongside our own ales.”

John Rowlinson, the new tenant at the Lass O’Gowrie, said: “The Lass O’Gowrie is an iconic pub and I am very proud to be taking it forward. I am certain that the refurbishment we are planning will firmly cement the Lass’s place in Manchester as a first rate real ale pub.”

Had a good pint of betty and sat in the snug, flicking through the collection of books and pull down screen, some of the local art for sale, a run through the forthcoming events... this pub is long with the bar at one side, which made it a bit of a hassle on a busy day, but the snug area is lovely.

An unusual pub with character, and that is not a bad thing! Hadn't been in for a few years but paid a visit a few weeks ago. I am sure I remember there used to be a glass viewing 'dome' which allowed you to see the micro brewery in the cellar. This appears to have gone now, which is a bit of a shame as it was a bit of a novelty and added to the charm of the place. That said, the ale in here was absolutely fine, a fair few to choose from on my visit and no issues over quality. I'd definitely recommend calling in for a pint or two, especially if you like real ale.

I remember years ago in here I was short changed at the bar. Didn't realise till I sat back down at the table and was gutted, knowing it was too late to go back and query it. About 5 minutes later the member of staff who served me came over with a £5 note apologising. I was very impressed; you wouldn't get that kind of honesty everywhere.